Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Flying Bat
- StageEarly Years
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Flying Bat is a free printable Halloween craft activity. It comes with an easy step by step guide, so children can make their own flying bats at home. It is a simple way to get creative in the run up to Halloween, and children can work at their own pace.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print the sheet, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Page 2 has notes on how to use the sheet, help for children who find it hard and a stretch idea.
What is on the sheet
Children follow a step by step guide to make their own flying bat. They work through the steps in order, one at a time, and finish with a bat of their own to show off. The sheet is a making task, not a test, so there are no right or wrong answers. Children can add their own touches to make the bat different from anyone else's. It suits a Halloween afternoon, a wet weekend or a quiet classroom session.
Making the most of your bat
Read before you start
Look through the whole guide together before anyone picks up a pencil. Ask your child what they think the finished bat will look like. Gather everything the guide asks for first, so you do not stop halfway.
One step at a time
Follow the guide in order and let your child do each step themselves. Point to the step you are on. Ticking or saying "done" after each one helps children keep their place.
Make it personal
Once the bat is made, invite your child to give it a name and a character. Is it friendly, sleepy or spooky? Small choices like this make the bat feel like their own.
Show it off
Fly the bat around the room, hang it in a window or add it to a Halloween display. Displaying finished work shows children that their effort is valued.
Why bats at Halloween?
Bats are one of the most familiar Halloween shapes. They come out at dusk and fly in the dark, and that is why people link them with spooky stories. In real life, bats are not scary. They are shy animals that keep away from people.
Craft activities like this help children practise following instructions in order. They also build the small hand movements needed for writing, drawing and making. Following a guide, then adding their own ideas, lets children use both careful thinking and imagination. In school this links to the design, make and evaluate strands of Design and Technology, and to making skills in Art and design.
Bat facts for curious children
- Bats are mammals. They are the only mammals that can truly fly.
- Most bats are nocturnal, which means they are active at night and rest during the day.
- Many bats find their way in the dark by making high sounds and listening for the echoes. This is called echolocation.
- The bats found in the UK eat insects.
- Bats and their roosts are protected by law in England.
Skills and curriculum link
- Following instructions
- Fine motor control
- Creativity
- Making and assembling
- Patience and focus
- Evaluating your own work
Helping your child make the bat
- Read it aloudRead each step aloud, then ask your child to say it back in their own words. This checks they understand before they start.
- Let them leadResist the urge to fix mistakes. A slightly wonky bat is still a good bat, and children learn by trying again.
- Keep things tidyClear the table and keep materials in one place. Children find it easier to follow steps when the space is calm.
- Talk about itAsk questions as they work. What comes next? What could you change to make it yours? Why did you choose that?
Key words
- HalloweenA festival on 31 October when many children dress up and make spooky decorations.
- MammalAn animal that has fur or hair and feeds its babies milk. Bats are mammals.
- NocturnalActive at night. Bats are nocturnal animals.
- WingspanThe distance from one wingtip to the other when the wings are stretched out.
- SymmetryWhen both sides of something match, like the two wings of a bat.
- EcholocationUsing sound echoes to find the way. Many bats do this in the dark.
How to use it
- Print the sheet. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has notes, help ideas and a stretch task.
- Read through the guide together first. Gather what you need before your child begins.
- Let your child follow the steps in order, doing the making themselves. Offer help only when they ask or get stuck.
- When the bat is finished, ask your child to talk about it. What did they enjoy? What would they change next time?
- Display the bat, or fly it around the room. Make another one another day, using different ideas.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Break the guide into small parts and do one part at a time, with a short break between them. Point to each step as you read it. If a step is tricky, show it once on a spare piece, then let your child try.
To stretch confident children
Design a second bat that is different from the first. Change its size, shape or decoration. Then write two sentences comparing the two bats. Which one would fly better, and which one looks spookier? Explain your choices.
Make it a game
Hold your bat up and walk it across the room as if it is flying. Take turns to describe its flight with a word such as swooping, fluttering or gliding. Each player must use a different word. Anyone who repeats a word is out.
Talk about it
- What is your favourite part of making the bat so far?
- How could you make your bat look different from everyone else's?
- What name would you give your bat? What is its personality like?
- Where do you think your bat would like to fly, and why?
- What was the trickiest step? How did you solve it?
- If you made another bat, what would you change?
Take it off the page
Bat hunt in the garden
At dusk, with an adult, look at the sky and listen for sounds. Talk about which animals come out at night and which ones sleep.
Bat shadow puppets
Cut or draw a bat shape and hold it in front of a torch. Watch the shadow on the wall and make up a short spooky story.
Night time drawing
Draw a night scene with a moon, clouds and trees. Add your bats flying across the sky. Use dark paper with light crayons if you have them.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first step, then let them take over. Read the guide together before you start. Praise effort and ideas, not just how neat the bat looks. A bat that your child made themselves is worth more than a perfect one.
Teachers
Use it in the run up to Halloween as a quiet making task, a wet playtime activity or a display builder. It gives children practice in following written steps in order. It links to the design and make strands of Design and Technology and to making in Art and design.
Home educators
Use it as a calm seasonal activity for a mixed age group. Older children can help younger ones read the steps, and everyone can then decorate their bat in their own way. It makes a good start to Halloween themed learning at home.
Where this skill leads
Before this sheet, children practise using scissors, glue and pencils, and learn to listen to or read simple instructions. Making simple models and pictures builds the hand control and patience that a guided craft needs.
After this, children can follow longer sets of instructions, or design and make their own models from a plan. Later they learn to say what worked well and what they would improve, which is the evaluating part of design and make in Design and Technology.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What is the Flying Bat sheet?
It is a free printable Halloween craft activity from the Mini Minds Hub. It has an easy step by step guide that helps children make their own flying bat at home. It is a making task, so there are no test questions.
- What do I need to do the activity?
Look at the guide on page 1 and gather what it asks for before you begin. Reading through the whole sheet first means you will not have to stop halfway to look for anything.
- How long does it take?
It depends on your child and how much they want to decorate their bat. The sheet does not set a time. Let children work at their own pace, with breaks if they need them, and finish another day if it suits.
- Do I need to print in colour?
Check the print preview and decide. If the guide looks clearer in colour, print in colour. If you only have black and white, you can still print, but read the steps first to make sure they are easy to follow.
- What is on page 2?
Page 2 is for the grown up. It has notes on how to use the sheet, help for children who find it hard and a stretch idea. Keep it for yourself and give page 1 to your child.
- Can I use it in a classroom?
Yes. It works well as a Halloween making task, a quiet activity or a display builder. It gives children practice in following steps in order. It links to the design and make strands of Design and Technology.
- What if my child finds it hard?
Break the guide into small parts and do one part at a time. Show a tricky step once on a spare piece, then let your child try. Praise effort and stop for a rest if they are getting frustrated.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.